Register for pool or billiard tables.



M. L. ADLER.

REGISTER FOR POOL 0R BILLIARD TABLES. APPLICATION FILED IuLY I. I9I3.

1,154,226. PaIenI-.easepn 21, 1915.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co..w^sHINur0N. D. c.

M. L. ADLER. REGISTER FOR P001 0R BILLIARD TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED IULY I, 1913. 1,154,226. Pat-entedsept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v1an-d Tables,

vmined period, the resetting ,f tion for starting reason the balls are moved from their initial Referring to the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

ivroRToN L. ADLER, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

REGISTER FOR POOL OR BILLIARD TABLES.

To all @tf/0m t may concern Be it known that I, Mon'roN L. ADLER, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of New York city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Registers for Pool or Bilof which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to registers for pool or billiard tables whereby the number' of games of pool orbilliards played will be registered, and the objects of the invention are to vprovide means for actuating a register which will not interfere with the-table .upon which the game isplayed, and which will actuate the register only at the beginning of each game.' j

Further objects of the invention are to provide means for delaying, for a pre-deterof the register actuating device after it has been once actuated so as to give the players a certain periodv within which to reset the balls in proper position for playing, in case the balls are not originallyset up in their exact posii the game, or if for any starting position before actual play is begun.

To the accomplishment of the above objects and-to suchothers as may hereinafter appear, A4the invention comprises movable plates set vin thek table, below the cloth, which When forced downward by the weight of the balls, resting on the cloth above said plates, will actuate a register. f Thev invention further comprises means for delaying'the resetting of theregister actuating device for a pre-determined period after the register has been actuated.

drawings Figure 1 shows more or less-diagrammatically a portion of Va pool table with the register and delay ,action device made in accordance with the 2 shows a portion of a bilinvention. Fig.

parts broken away showing liard table with vthe position ofv thevactuators'made in accordance with ,the invention. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the clock- `work, contact member and flexible contact with lever. Fig. 4 is a'detail sectional view of the contact member. Fig. 5 is a detail view of` one of the actuators. Fig. 6' is a view in cross section onjthe line 6*6 of Fig. 5.. Fig.V 7 is a cross-section on the line 7*7 of F 5a y the-drawings 1 designates apool table Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 1 1913.

and 2 represents the bed of the table, usually made of slate, in which suitable circular holes 3 are bored to contain the actuators 4. rThe actuators 4 are, in the presentinstance, all alike and consist, as shown in Fig. 6, of a bottom plate 5 upon which is mounted a ring member 6 by means of insulating posts secured in position by means of suitable screws 8. An actuating plate 9 having a circumferential recess 10, engaging the inner edge of the ring member 6, formsthe top of the actuator 4. The top surface of the actuating plate 9 is supported and kept normally flush with the top surface of the ring member 6 by means of spiral springs 11 held in position and insulated from the bottom plate 5 by means of headed insulating posts 12 secured to the bottom plate by means of contact screws 13 the ends of which project above'the top surface of the insulating members 12 so as to make contact with the actuating plate 9 when the same is pressedV downward. lThe actuators L as just described, are preferably circular and are set in circular holes bored in the slate bed of the table so that the actuating plate 9 andthe ringV member 6 will be flush with the top surface of the slate bed. At least three ofthese actuators 4 are preferably used on a pool table, the actuators being spaced so as to come underneath the three corner balls when the fifteen balls, used in playing pool, are set up in the shape of a triangle at the beginning of the game. As shown in Fig. 1, the actuators 4 are electrically connected in series by means of strips of thin copper foil 14: laid upon the bed of the table. One end of each strip of copper foil 14 is connected to the bottom of one of the plates 5 by means of the llower screws 8, as shown in Fig. 6, whereas the other end of each strip of copper foil 14 is connected to one of the ring members 6 as shown in Fig. 7, the two loose ends of the copper foil being connected-to the line wires 15 and 16. The ring members 6 are each provided with a-plurality of spring contacts 6a as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 which form a flexible electrical connection between the ring member 6 and the actuating plate 9.

From the above description it will be seen that in order to permit an electrical current to pass through the strips of copper foil 14 it is necessary that all of the actuating plates 9 be pressed down at the same time to make contact with their respectiveI contact screws 13 which are electrically connected to, lthe 'i lof the actuating plate bottom plates 5, it being noted that the actuating plates 9 are normally insulated from the bottom plates 5 and the strips 14. The actuating plates 9 are situated, as before described, so as to be underneath the three corner balls when the balls are set up for play ing pool, thereby pressing all three actuating plates downward at the same time, to permit an electric current to pass through the strips of copper foil 14. The springs 11 of each actuator are arranged to be pressed downward when a pool ball is placed on top 9 so as to make contact with the contact pins 13 which can be adjusted to make this movement very slight so as to interfere with the level of the table as little as possible. The cloth which usually covers the bed of the table is stretched if the actuators were not in place. j "the actuators are operated as before de- `wires 15 and set up by means of a short wire over the top of the actuators, and for all practical purposes the table is as smooth as Then scribed they close a circuit through the line 16 to energize a magnet 17 which pulls down a lever 18 against the action of a spring 19'to actuate a register 20* which records the number of games played. In order to prevent the register being operated several times while vthe balls are being to start a new game in either pool or billiards, a delay action device or delayer y21 is provided, and inserted in the register circuit. In the present instance, the delay action device or delayer comprises a suitable clock-work 22 which operates a continually rotating'shaft 23 to one end of which is secured an externally screw threaded sleeve or contact member 24 by means ot' a key 25. The contact'member24 has a portion of its screw surface made of insulating material as shown at 26, the purpose of which will be described later. The contact member 24 is adjustable lengthwise along the shaft 23, the same being held in position by means of the hand nut 27 at one end and the coiled spring 28 at the other which abuts against a flange 29 secured to the shaft 23. The threaded portion of the contact member 24 is arranged to engage the flexible contact wire 30 secured to one end of the lever 31 which is pivoted to the upright 32. To the other lend of the lever 31'is secured an insulated vcontactY 33'which is arranged to make and 4open and close the register circuit, the lever 31 being electrically connected in the circuit 39 secured to the contact spring 40.

The operation of the delay actionrdevice or delayer is as follows: When the balls are I Fig. 2, with framed or set up to start a new game, the three end balls operate the actuators 4 so as to close the circuit between the wires 15 and 16 which energizes the magnet 38 and pulls down the lever 31 against the action ot the spring 40, which brings the contact 33 into position to close the register circuit and actuate the register. When the lever 31 is operated as just described, the flexible contact 30 is brought into engagement with the metal threaded portion of the contact member 24 thereby short circuiting the current from the battery 37, keeping the magnet 3S energized to keep the register circuit closed. The register circuit is then kept closed while the continually rotating shaft 23 moves the end of the lexible vcontact 30 along the metal threaded portion of the contact member 24 until it reaches the threaded contact 30 is moving along'the metal thread- "3 ed portion of the contact member 24, the balls on the table may be reset or refrained at will without danger of operating the register after it has once been operated. The contact member 24 is usually arranged to delay the breaking of the register circuit Jfrom half a minute to a minute, althou this time can be made more or less as sired. In the present instance the contact member 24 can be moved along the shaft 23 by adjusting the hand nut 27 to change the position at which the flexible contact 30 will engage thevmetal threads on the contact member 24.

strike nearer the outer end of the Contact member 24 and will have farther to travel along the metal threads before engaging the insulated threads 26 delay period. By moving the hand nut inward the delay interval can be made shorter. A billiard table is provided, as shown in similar actuators 4 conn in series by strips of metal foil 50 leading to the side of the table to which connections` can be made to a delayer and register such as shown in Fig. 1. In a billiard table the actuators are placed underneath two spots that appear at each end of the table upon which the balls are placed at the beginning ofi alls the game, the delayer permitting the and the register is flexible contact 30 along the i If the hand nut 27 is moved outward, the flexible contact 30 will' thereby increasing the j ist to be reset on the spots during an interval of time after the register has been operated as before described.

vWhile the pool table shown in F ig. 1 is provided With only three actuators, the number of these actuators can be increased to any number up toifteen, the same being placed Within the triangle marked by the three actuators shown in Fig. l. The greater the number of actuators, the less likelihood there is of the balls assuming a position during the game for again operating the register. It is of course to be understood that the actuators can be made smaller when the number of actuators is increased if so desired.

The delay action device or the delayer is a very simple device that requires a very small amount of power to operate the flexible contact, any simple clockwork can be used for this purpose. The register is simple and the means for operating it are also simple and inexpensive. While the particular arrangement-of the delayer and register is more or less diagrammatic, the same can be arranged to be inclosed in a boX if so desired, and placed under the table or at the desk of the proprietor, or any other convenient place.

vWhile the invention has been described With particular reference to the details of construction, the same is not to be considered as limited thereto, as manychanges can be made and still fall Within the scope of the invention las set forth in the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A ball game-table comprising in combination a register for registering the number of games played, and a plurality of actuating means arranged on said table in position to be operated by the Weight of the balls only When the same are assembled to start a new game.

2. A ball game-table comprising in combination a register for registering the number of games played, a plurality of actuat ing means arranged on said table in position to be simultaneously operated by the Weight of the balls When the same are assembled to start a new game.

3. A ball game table comprising in combination a register, a plurality of actuators therefor on said table, and means requiring the simultaneous operation of all of said actuators to effect the operation of said register.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of tWo subscriblng Witnesses.

MORTON L. ADLER. Witnesses:

LEo J. MATTY, PAUL H. FRANKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by` addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

